Plus ça Change plus c’est la même chose (From Times Series)

Plus ça Change plus c’est la même chose

6:32pm Sunday 25th November 2007

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At a meeting last week there was some laughter when we informally discussed the Totteridge Conservation Area. Apparently many of the original buildings of Totteridge (some have survived) were made of timber frame construction. Interestingly it was timber frame construction methods that caused some controversy following the fire a year or so ago and I remember the loud ‘told you so’ type comments from one of my colleagues.

So we were amused to see the technique our colleague loudly criticised having formed the basis of buildings in the lovely Totteridge Village – an area the same colleague would man the barricades to protect.

Perhaps when Totteridge Village was developing in the 15th century there was a local “dignitary” harrumphing about the modern design and unsuitable building techniques and asking what was wrong with the traditional wattle and daub.

So I guess some things never change, one man’s (or Councillor’s) progress is another’s desecration. What is becoming evident is that Colindale is rapidly becoming a fashionable haven of young families and young professionals injecting welcome revitalisation into the area. St George’s the developers appear to have gone to trouble to ensure it isn’t just apartment blocks they are building but have worked to get a nursery, restaurants and a gym in the development. They’ve even built communal roof gardens (although they are actually several levels below roof level) to provide green space in a secure space. Having met some of the first occupiers they were keen to get to know their neighbours and young kids playing together seems to be a great start!

Regeneration is more than just new buildings but about new communities too.